A Cliche?
by hopeforthefandoms
Summary: Nothing is ever cliche with Maureen Johnson. Especially not a romantic Valentine's Day. Rated T for some language, and because... it's RENT. You get it. Oneshot.


**Yo! I had the idea for this last week, but waited for today to publish in honor of Valentine's Day. And don't worry, I'm writing like nuts here! Just a lot of stuff...**

**Also, welcome to my first published Rent fic. I've got more fics, I just haven't finished yet. This was meant to be light and fluffy, but it turned slightly angsty along the way. _Need... plot... *_crawls on hands and knees*  
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**This is set years after the musical, by the way.**

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><p>All was not well in the Johnson-Jefferson home. Or just the Jefferson home? Technically, it was Joanne Jefferson's place. Maureen Johnson just lived there with her, and they weren't married...<p>

But Maureen planned to change that last part.

She planned, with assistance from some friends, to ask Joanne to marry her. She would need a sturdy plan (something Maureen was not known for), and that meant people to cover for her. The people who would be doing this were Mimi Marquez and Tom Collins, two of her closest friends. She decided not to let Mark in on it, seeing as they were exes and it would just be... awkward. Not to mention that she wanted to spare his feelings. As for Roger, she really didn't give a shit as to if he knew or not. He wasn't in the apartment when she decided to tell Mimi and Collins, so he wasn't in on it.  
>The proposal was to take place on Valentine's Day. Maureen was sure of that. Call it cliche. Call it whatever you like. Maureen was going to propose to her girlfriend on February 14th, and that was final.<p>

That was also the only thing she had planned.

Mimi and Collins, being the supportive friends they were (along with being used to Maureen's crazy schemes), helped brainstorm some ideas.

The date was set, the ring bought, and the rest of their friends notified. There was only one problem: Maureen was incredibly nervous. What if she gave herself away? What if Joanne figured out her plan? It was a week from Valentine's Day, and Maureen was close to panic.

The next step of the plan was completely her own- which is probably why the results were so disastrous. Maureen decided to casually avoid Joanne. This is where all was not well.

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><p>There was a sinking feeling in Joanne's stomach. Was it just her, or was she being avoided? Maureen had left the house quickly in the mornings, and hadn't come back until late at night for the past week. She always had something planned on Joanne's lunch break, and it made Joanne wonder if they were going to be okay. At least their date on Valentine's Day was still on. Three days away from Valentine's Day, and the two of them hadn't had a relevant conversation in days. The very thought made her feel sick.<p>

Of course, there was always the likely possibility- unfortunate, but likely- that Maureen was cheating. _That _definitely made her feel sick. Were they going to be okay?

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><p>It was February 13th, 8:00 PM, EST when a group of seven friends met for supper in their favorite cafe.<p>

Joanne Jefferson's patience was running out.

At 8:30, Joanne's patience had snapped.

"Maureen, can I talk to you for a second?" Joanne said, trying to sound casual.

Maureen's heart raced. Had Joanne figured it out? She nodded, trying to act casual.

Mimi and Collins exchanged a glance, trying to look casual.

There was nothing casual about any of this.

Joanne marched Maureen out of the cafe to the sidewalk. "So..." Maureen broke the awkward silence. "You wanted to talk with me?"

Joanne nodded slowly. "Listen, Maureen... I was just wondering... since tomorrow's Valentine's Day and all..."

_Oh shit, she knows... _Maureen thought. _What's going to happen... should I propose now and blow it or hear her out... maybe it's something different. Maybe..._

"Are we okay?" Joanne inquired quietly.

Maureen was stunned. What? Were they okay? She was definitely not expecting this. "What? Are we okay? I don't even know what you're talking about, Pookie. We're fine. We're... more than fine. Miles past just _okay_. Don't you agree?"

Joanne was even more suspicious now. What was Maureen trying to imply? Or... cover up? "Well... I meant... I don't know. I just don't know, Maureen. Why have you been avoiding me? Is it something I did, or-"

Maureen shook her head. "Joanne," she burst out. "I think it'd be a good idea if we- well..."

Joanne raised her eyebrows. If Maureen followed that statement with _see other people_, she just might scream.

"Damn, it wasn't supposed to work out this way..." Maureen said. "But hey... no day but today, I guess... Joanne, will you... uh... marry me?"

Of course, Joanne said yes.

No, nothing was ever cliche with Maureen Johnson. But finally, all was well in the Johnson-Jefferson home.


End file.
